Capps' season, career leaps forward with Tobler as crew chief

It doesn’t take that long for a Funny Car to get back to the pits after the end of a qualifying run.

But the darkest moments of Ron Capps’ season have become the springboard for one of the

Carlsbad drag racer’s best runs in several seasons.

While Capps was being towed back to his pit after failing to qualify at Las Vegas last month, crew chief Tim Richard resigned after a hastily-called meeting with team owner Don Schumacher.

“I drive the car,” Capps said earlier this week. “I’ve never had anything to do with the decision making on the team. I missed the conversation between Tim and Don. By the time I got back to my pit, Tim was gone.”

Schumacher wasted no time replacing Richard. He plucked Rahn Tobler from another team in his stable and aligned him with Capps.

In the three events since, Capps has two runnerup finishes and a win last Sunday in Atlanta to climb from eighth to second in the season standings.

For good measure, Capps has put a stop to two winning streaks owned by the John Force conglomerate.

First, Capps defeated Robert Hight at Texas to end Hight’s run of four straight event wins. And his win at Atlanta snapped a string of six straight wins this season by Force’s team.

“We’ve also been the No. 2 qualifier in each of the last three events,” said Capps. “We’re getting solid performances. We’ve completed 41 of the last 42 runs. The car is consistent as well as fast.”

The difference?

Tobler.

“It’s been a huge change,” said Capps. “The crew chief on any of these teams is the Commander in Chief, the mentor. I’m amazed at what Rahn has come in and done. Earlier this season, we had an issue. The car was vibrating.”

And Rahn Tobler is a bit more than the average drag racing crew chief. He is an icon. He has been a crew chief on three championship cars.

“We are very, very encouraged going forward,” said Capps. “I love to listen and soak up everything a legend in our sport has to say, and I get to do that with Rahn. I've learned so much from listening to him already. He's made me a better driver and I think helped restart my career.”

Capps said it hasn’t been all fun and games working with Tobler.

“He has set ideas,” said the driver. “"I had to adapt to Rahn's car and Rahn’s ways. There are a few things different like how he warms up the car down to how he wants me to back up after the burnout. I have to become consistent doing those things the way Rahn wants."

Why adjust to Tobler?

“Because I really feel good about winning a championship,” said Capps, who scored his 34th career win at Atlanta (where he also scored his first win in 1993) but has yet to win a title. He has finished second three times in the final season standings.

“This could be the year,” said Capps, who heads to Topeka next week and a track where he has three wins.

Local Laps

Taylor Miinch: The Christian High senior, won the ASA Truck Series championship for the second straight year at Firebird Raceway near Phoenix.

Jonathan May: Racing in the Rotax Challenge of America karting series, the 15-year-old from San Marcos recently finished second and third in two races in the Senior Division at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.